credentia

Forms

crēdentia f (genitive crēdentiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin crēdēns (“believing, trusting”), a noun of Late and Medieval Latin,^[1] the present participle of crēdō (“to believe, trust”).^[2][1][3] The MLW compares Meyer-Lübke's Romance etymological dictionary, which lists its Romance outcomes.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record in the MLW is in the Royal Frankish Annals, under the year 785, where two men ask for guarantees that they will come to no harm.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Carolingian Latin it meant a solemn promise or guarantee, and hostages were given “for guarantees”; it also meant a safe-conduct.^[5][2] From trust came the commercial senses: credit, a promise to pay, the recognition of a debt,^[5][2][6] and the farming out of offices and taxes, as in the Constitutions of Melfi.^[5][2][4] Letters de credentia were letters of credence that accredited an envoy.^[6] It meant belief too, in religion and especially the creed of heretics in the Toulouse inquisition records.^[2][4][5]

In Italian cities a credentia was a council of leading citizens.^[5][4] From the tasting of food and drink as a guarantee against poison, Italian credenza passed to the side-table on which dishes were set, and Church Latin took the word for the small table beside the altar that holds the vessels.^[4][7] English credence (mid-14th century) comes from the sense “belief”.^[8]

Timeline

• 785 – Under this year, the Royal Frankish Annals use it of guarantees of safety.^[2][4]
• 1216 – An English royal mandate uses it of goods taken on credit.^[6]
• 1221 – A Lausanne charter has it of forty days' credit owed by sellers.^[2]
• 1242 – An English royal letter of credence names it.^[6]
• mid-14th century – English borrows it as credence, “belief”.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) Belief, trust;^[2][5][4] (especially) the creed of heretics.^[2][5][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) A solemn promise, guarantee, security.^[5][2]
3. (Medieval Latin) A safe-conduct.^[5]
4. (Medieval Latin) Credit; a promise to pay, recognition of a debt.^[5][2][6]
5. (Medieval Latin) The farming out of offices and taxes.^[5][4]
6. (Medieval Latin) Credence, accreditation;^[6][5] litterae de credentia, letters of credence.^[6][5]
7. (Medieval Latin) A secret, confidential information; secrecy.^[5]
8. (Medieval Latin) In Italian cities, a council of prominent citizens.^[5][4]
9. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A small table in the sanctuary for the sacred vessels, a credence table.^[7][4]

Related words

• crēdō
• English credence

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e f g Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com